Means for automatically controlling the flow of liquid in pipes



Jan. 1,1929. 1,697,223

J. H. BRUMBAUGH' MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF LIQUIDIN PIPES Filed May 6. 1922 5 3 Znveruan' 7 rent controlling switch, orother-starting de- Patented Jan. 1, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFF ICE.

JOHN H. BB'UMBAUGH, OF WILMETTE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 'I O ALFREDFRITZSCHE, 0F

. CLEVELAND, OHIO.

MEANS FOR Afi'lOMZATICALI-Y CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF LIQUID IN' PIPES.

Application filed May 6,

or fluid through a pipe for controlling ameans by which the initial fiowmay be increased and accelerated and continued until manually stopped.

Another object is the provision of means, responsive to fiowof'water,and to drop of pressure in a pipe, whereby to control a source of watersupply to raise the pressure to nor mal and which will continueuninterruptedly to supply water to the pipe until thefiow movementthereof, through the pipe ceases.

Another object is to provide an electric c'urvice, for starting anengine, electric motor,' or the-like, by means automatically respons veto flow of waterthru a pipe, whereby to operate a booster pump as anauxiliary to another source of water supply for "passing water thru thepipe to acceleratethe flow and to increase the quantity thereof;

Other objects and advantages of the invention willhereinafter appearfrom a consideration of the following description when taken inconjunction with the drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a more or lessschematic arrangement of devices and circuits constituting-one systemfor supplying water toa water distributing pipe.

Fi 2 is an elevation of the opposite side of the c eck valve shown insection in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the circuit closing lever attached to thevalve stem, which is also shown in Figs. 1 and 2. a

I In the drawings chosen to exemplify my invention 5 is a waterdistributing pipe normally maintained at a pressure within a certainrange. Connected to the pipe 5 are a plurality of sprinkler heads 6held" closed by a fuse element 7 and adapted to be opened upon theoccurrence of fire. V

8 is a. check valve casing having a swinging check valves therein, as at9, pivoted on a a valve stem 10. Secured to the valve stem is 1922.Serial No. 558,920.

lated ormoved to a point determined by the extent to which the valve isopen. At the end of the lever 11 is connected a piston rod 13 connectedto a piston 14 in the dash pot 15, the object being to prevent spasmodicmovement of the valve 9 by a Water-hammer or the like.

The dash pot 15 is oscillatable upon a pivot 16. A water supply pipe 17is connected to the pipe 5 and may be connected to a suitable source ofwater supply such as a pressure tank, or tank elevated'upon the roof ofthe building of the risk in which the system is employed for protection.

Another water supply pipe 18 is in like manner connected to the pipe 5and is also connected to a centrifugal pump 19. A water supply pipe 20may be connected to the same or to another source 'of water supply..-The pipes 17 and 20 both contribute to supply water to thedistribution pipe 5. The pump 19 may be operated byan engine of anycharacter or by an electric motor 21, the armature of which is directlyconnected to the rotor of the pump.

,An electric starter 22 for a direct current m'otor consists ofthe coil23, the core .24 which is movable axially thereof and which is connected to a lever 25,- pivoted at 26, and bearing" on a startingrheostat commutator 27. A dash pot28 is provided with a piston 29, andpiston rod 30, which is pivoted to the lever 25, as at 31, and to a link32 which is pivoted at 33 tothe core 24.

The main or' live wires, 35 and 36, are connected to any suitable sourceof current sup ply. The wire 35 is connected to the binding post 37 ofthe motor 21 and the binding post 38 of the motor is connected by a wlre39A to the lever 25, as at 26.

The end of the rheostat commutator 27 is connected by a wire 39 to thewire 36, so that when the lever 25 moves .over, the commutator circuitis thus closed thru the motor 21 which is properly started intooperation, the rotation of the armature of which rotates the rotor ofthe pump 19 and causes water to flow thru the pipes 1.8,and 20 into thepipe 5.

Vater in the pipe 17 usually maintains normal pressure that obtains inthe pipe 5, so that normally the valve 9 in the casing 8 is sub-.stantially balanced but closed, as shown in Fig. 1. Should the pipe 5leak or have a slow drip, then the diaphragm 40, closing the casing 11,is moved inwardly of the casing and a contact lever 42 which is pivotedat 43 is drawn downwardly by the diaphragm until the end of the lever 12connects with the contact 14;, which closes the circuit thru the wire v15, thru the solenoid 23, thru the wire 46' and ing additional waterinto the pipe 5 and raising the pressure therein to thenormalpredetermined extent.

If water is not leaving the pipe 5 rapidly then the diaphragm 40 will bebulged outwardly as the pressure in pipe 5 increases and the circuitbetween the contact lever 4E2 and contact 44 will be opened and themotor will stop provided, however, that the check valve 9, as a resultof the cessation of'water flow will be closed and also open the circuit.

If water flows thru the pipe 5 sufiicientlyto unseat the check valve 9,then the lever 12 will make cont-act with the plate 46 and the circuitwill be closed as before thru the solenoid coil 23, and-the motor againstarts. The motor will thus continue to supply water to the pipe 5,-fromthe pipe 20 thru the instrumentality of the pump 19, so long as thecheck valve 9 remains open, because during this time the lever 12 is incontact with the plate '46 and the circuit is maintained closed thru thesolenoid coil 23, and the motor is therefore in condition to continueits motion to operate the pump. The pressure responsive device 41 willinitiate the operation of the motor 21 independ ently of the movement ofthe valve 9, but after the water has begun to pass into the pipe 5 fromeither of the pipes 17 or 20 the valve 9 will be opened and so long asthe valve 9 remains open the motor will continue to run. I have,however, provided a manually operable switch 47 which may be opened andwhich will have the effect of stopping the operation of the motor.

The pressure-responsive device 41 will initiate the operation of theflow-responsive device including the check valve 9' and the circuitcontrolled thereby, but the pressureresponsive'device will have nofurther modifying effect upon the flow-responsive device so long as thewater thru the pipe 5 is in mo tion.

The object of using the safeguarding effect of the pressure-responsivedevice 41 is to provide against'leak from the pipe 5 and depreciation ofthe pressure therein which will not have suflicient effect to open thevalve 9 by flow of water from the pipe 17 into the pipe 5.

Any sort of-remote alarm initiated by flow of water or by movement of apart of the.

sponsive device may be included in the system. I have shown one suchalarm consisting of the bell 48 energized by a local battery 49 when theelectro-magnet 50 is energized. The 'electro-magnet 50 is placed inseries with the coil 23 to close contacts 51 and 52 when coil 23 isenergized. This closes the local circuit thru wires 53 and 5 1 and thebattery 19. The alarm bell 48 will therefore ring whenthe pressure inpipe 5 is below normal or when water begins to flow in pipe 5. This doesaway with the necessity of an additional alarm valve or other means forestablishing an alarm remote from the apparatus shown.

My invention is susceptible to considerable modifications and variationsand disposition of the parts within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. In a fire extinguishing system a pipe for conducting a fireextinguishing liquid; a

source of supply of said liquid, another source of supply of fireextinguishing liquid; means responsive to decrease of pressure in .saidpipe and means responsive to themovesource of supply of fireextinguishing liquid;

means responsive directly to the movement of liquid in its flow fromsaidfirst source to cause liquid from the second source to flow into saidpipe with liquid flowing from the first source and means responsive tofall of pressure in said pipe to initiate the operation of said firstmentioned means.

3. In a sprinkler system, a liquid distributing pipe, a liquid su plysource, means connected to said distri uting pipe and aseparate liquidsupply source for augmenting the flow of liquid in said distributingpipe, means responsive to the flow of llquid through said distributingpipe for initiating the operation of said first mentioned means, andmeans responsive to pressure'in said distributing pipe for initiatingthe operation of said first mentioned means when'said pressupply, switchmeans actuated by movement of said check valve for initiating theoperatlon of sald means, a second casing 1n commumcatlon with said firstmentloned casing,

a diaphragm in said second casing responslve to pressure therem, swltchmeans actutioned means when the pressure in said sec- 0nd casing dropsbelow a predetermlned value, and means for supplying liquid to saiddistributing pipe at a point to the rear of said first mentioned casingfrom a second source of supply.

5. In a sprinkler system, a-liquid distributing pipe, means to causeliquid to flow into said pipe, auxiliary means to causeliquid to flowinto said .pipe,'flow responsive means connected to said pipe in advanceof said first mentioned means and said auxiliary means for initiatingthe operation of the latter, and pressure responsive means incommunication with said pipe in advance ofsaid first mentioned means andsaid auxiliary means for initiating the operation of the latter when thepressure in said pipe falls below a predetermined value. H

6. In a sprinkler system, a liquid distributing pipe, supply means tocause liquid to flow into said pipe, auxiliary means to cause anadditional flow of liquid to said pipe, flow responsive means incommunication with said pipe in advance of said supply means and saidauxiliary meansfor initiating the operation of the latter, pressureresponsive means in communication with said pipe in advance of saidsupplymeans and sand auxiliary means for initiating the operation of thelatter when the pressure in said pipe falls below a predetermined value,and alarm means initiated by either of said responsive means. 7. In asprinkler system, a liquid distributmg pipe, means to cause water toflow in sai pipe, signal mean's,.flow-responsive means in communicationwith said pipe for initiating the operation of said signal means, andpressure responsve means in communication with said pipe for initiatingthe operation of said signal means when the pressure in said pipe fallsbelow a predetermined value.

8. In an automatic sprinkler system, the combination with a waterdistributing pipe, of water flow-responsive means and pressureresponsivemeans; means to cause water to flow in said pipe and auxiliary means tocause additional flow of water in said pipe; said auxiliary means beingcontrolled independently by said responsive means.

9. An automatic s rinkler system comprising a water distri supply waterthereto from a given source, another means to supply additional waterthereto from another source to augment the flow of water supplied by thefirst mentioned source; a pressure-responsive means and aflow-responsive means in said pipe independently operable to control thewater supply augmenting means.

In testimony whereof I hereunto subscribe m name.

- JOHN H. BRUMBAUGH.

uting pipe; means to v

